


Vibrant Fate

by stratusdreams



Category: Blood (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Minor Violence, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:49:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27887833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stratusdreams/pseuds/stratusdreams
Summary: Written for Yume Week Day 5: "Soulmates"
Relationships: Caleb/Self Insert
Kudos: 1





	Vibrant Fate

Millie stumbled through the crowd, grimacing at the pain in their ankle. In their haste to get down the apartment building’s stairs that morning, they’d surely twisted it -- but they couldn’t afford to be late for their job interview. Not that it ended up mattering. The hiring manager had cancelled on them, citing a scheduling conflict. He promised to reschedule their interview, but Millie wasn’t particularly sure.

Shades of gray flashed by their eyes as they wove between people on the bustling street. At 21, Millie felt they were a late bloomer. Other people their age were already seeing color, having met their soulmate. Hell, a girl they knew had met her soulmate in elementary school and had been seeing in color for over a decade! Millie knew they should be patient, but they couldn’t help but feel deeply lonely. With few close friendships and a monochrome world, they led a drab existence in every sense of the word.

The crowd thinned completely as Millie limped toward their apartment building. As they walked, they heard scuffling from up ahead; _must be some teenage boys playing rough,_ they thought. The local boys liked to play a rowdy version of tag where they sprinted through the streets of New York. They’d knocked into Millie a few times -- it probably explained their back problems despite their young age. _Whatever_. They shook their head and stepped farther from the alleyway entrances, so as to avoid the teenagers.

The scuffling noises paused, and a gunshot rang out from the building to their right. Millie stopped dead in their tracks. Their brain seemed to shut down; their body begged for them to run, scream, do _anything_ but they remained rooted in place, unable to move. Finally, Millie forced themself to back up against the nearby wall. They fished their cell phone from their pocket and took a deep breath. It vibrated as it unlocked with their thumbprint. _Alright, just have to dial three numbers. You can do this, Millie. Come on!_ They stepped forward, preparing to sprint for their apartment and flee the scene.

They had no time to react when a man crashed from the window to their right, knocking directly into them. Millie’s head hit the pavement and they yelped in agony. They screwed their eyes shut, trying to will away the pain. 

Someone picked them up, and in their injured state, Millie couldn’t even fight back. Whoever was carrying them landed hard with their back against a wall, then set them down. Millie found hard earth beneath their feet and a solid body in front of them. They took a deep breath and opened their eyes.

There was color.

They couldn’t name it -- they’d never seen it before. But oh, it was _beautiful_. Millie tried to step back, but the person kept them close with a steady arm around their waist. “Stay here for just a sec,” he rasped. 

Millie shifted slightly, and the barrel of a shotgun bumped their leg. A jolt of fear surged through them, but the man rubbed a soothing circle on their back. In their current state, Millie wasn’t sure they could fight back even if they wanted to. Confusion was a fog in their brain. This _was_ their soulmate, after all. Surely he couldn’t be bad…? 

Several minutes passed. All Millie could hear was the pounding of their heart in their ears. The man’s grip on their waist loosened, and finally, they could step back to look at him. He was ruggedly handsome, with choppy, long hair, deep laugh lines, and a surprisingly gentle gaze. Millie wished they knew the words for colors -- his eyes were gorgeous, but they had no way to describe the dazzling hue. 

“You’re in color,” they said after a moment.

  
“So are you.” His face softened. “Sorry we had to meet like this. I ain’t exactly… how do I say this. A _normal_ person, if ya know what I mean.” He laughed, more to himself than Millie. “Tell me, darlin’, what’s your name?”

“Millie. Millie Bellamy. You?”

“Caleb’s the name. If I had a last name, I forgot it. Mind if I take yours?” He winked, and Millie felt their face flush. “We’re stuck together now, after all.”

“O-oh. Yeah. Uh. Can you explain what’s going on though? You kind of have a shotgun, and I’m a little freaked out still, and in a lot of pain.”

Caleb darted out around the corner, checking the street for his apparent enemies. The coast was clear, so he gestured for them to follow. “Come on out. I’ll explain everything once we get somewhere safe. Sound good?” He wrapped an arm around them and gave them a squeeze.

The back of their head throbbed, and while they were certainly frightened by everything going on, the sturdy arm around their waist made them feel grounded. “Uhm. Yeah. Let’s do that.” 

  
“Well then… I’ve got a motel room, and you can rest up. You hit your head pretty hard -- no help from me, I s’pose.” He let them lean on him for support. Millie’s eyes were trained on him, examining every hue in his skin, every flash of different color when the light hit his irises. “I know you’re scared, but you don’t gotta worry ‘bout a thing. I’m gonna keep ya safe.”


End file.
